Austin, Texas Goes Green!

The City of Austin, Texas, has become the largest municipality in the U.S. to power all of its facilities using only renewable energy.

As of Oct. 1 all of the city’s municipal facilities subscribe to Austin Energy’s GreenChoice renewable energy product.

In all, the City of Austin has bought about 400 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy. The City of Houston is the only U.S. municipality to buy more renewable power. However, Houston’s 438 million kWh accounts for just 34 percent of its energy use, according to an Austin Energy release.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory figures showed that the energy company used wind and landfill gas to sell 754 million kWh of voluntary renewables in 2010, information derived from Environmental Leader.

This achievement comes at an exciting time as the U.S. Green Chamber prepares to open a branch in near by San Antonio. President, Dr. Rich LaHaye of the Lone Star Chapter has this to way about the announcement;

“Congratulations to the City of Austin for becoming ‘The largest municipality in the entire nation, to power all of its facilities using only renewable energy.’ Once again the ‘City’ of Austin demonstrates an impressive level of leadership and innovation – The kind Texans so greatly desire and deserve from our Governor and the leaders of our Texas State House Chambers – when it comes to renewable energy and resource conservation.

Its time all elected officials in Texas realize what Austin City leaders have always known; “Green issues aren’t red or blue issues – they’re Texas issues. It’s simply about ensuring that the kind of land, water and natural resources that future generations of Texans receive are in the condition they deserve to inherit from today’s generation of Texans.” AUSTIN; Once Again, You Do Us Proud.”